In The News

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton answers questions before a grand jury about the unexplained discovery in the White House residence of records sought for two years by authorities. “I do not know how the billing records came to be found where they were found but I am pleased that they were found, because they confirm what I have been saying ... I, like everyone else, would like to know how these documents showed up after all these years.”

Responding to international pressure - the Muslim-led Bosnian government and its Croation allies, release hundreds of Bosnian Serb prisoners in a one-sided swap.

Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza strip vote in their first election for a self-ruled government. Early election returns showed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat winning the presidential vote by an expected overwhelming majority. Said one voter: “It is a great feeling to participate in elections, and I hope they will lead us to a Palestinian state.”

Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole is interviewed by MTV reporter Tabitha Soren - officially beginning the music channel’s 1996 campaign coverage. Said an 18-year-old: “It’s almost perverse to have Hootie and the Blowfish playing in the background while Bob Dole speaks.”

Technology news – January 15, 1996

AT & T says it will invest $137.5 million in Hughes Electronics Corps DirecTV satellite service. The move will help the 1 1/2 year-old company expand its marketing drastically. The service charges anywhere from $20 to $70 per month for its programming packages. In addition - the customer must spend between $500 and $900 for an 18-inch satellite dish and other receiving hardware.

Entertainment/Celebrity/Hollywood news – January 15, 1996

Murdered - Rapper Lori Esteen of “SweetNLo” and her boyfriend are bound and shot in the head execution style. So far, police have few leads or clues.

George Burns spends his 100th birthday quietly in his Beverly Hills home. He’s in frail health after catching the flu at Frank Sinatra’s Christmas party. Burns gets around in a wheelchair after a bathtub fall last year.

Whitney Houston and her production company “Houston Productions” sign a two-year nonexclusive deal with Disney’s Touchstone Pictures. Says the singer/actress: “I not only want to produce movies for myself but I want to develop and produce material for both motion picture and television that I like and believe in.”

ABC is bringing back “Coach” on the Tuesday night schedule on February 3.

Linda Ellerbee teams up with Microsoft to do a monthly interview show on the Internet. It will be on Microsoft’s “Encarta” section and will be called “Encarta on the Record.” During the broadcast - a video image of Ellerbee and her guest will be displayed - updated every 8 seconds. You’ll need the proper equipment to listen to the audio. The first cybercast is scheduled for February 21. You can reach the site at ww.microsoft.com/encarta. So far, the first guest hasn’t been announced.

OJ Simpson grants his first television interview - the first since his trial ended 18 months ago. The one-hour interview was broadcast on BET with questions coming from reporter Ed Gordon. On the outset, Simpson told the audience “I did not commit these murders. I could not kill anyone.”

In Hollywood, actor Harry Dean Stanton (69) is tied up and injured in a weekend home invasion robbery. Two men were later arrested after a lojack tracking device was activated in his car. “I got robbed and thought I was going to die. Aside from that, everything is great... I was lying there, thinking how it’s going to feel when my head explodes.” Stanton appeared in a number of films including “Alien” and “Repo Man.”